China Dolls

Album: Jubilee Road (2018)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Tom Odell was thinking a lot about family when he wrote his Jubilee Road album, and he had plenty of recollections from his childhood. One of his memories was a vague one of some china dolls that used to live in his grandma's spare bathroom. With their devilish eyes and Snow White skin, they used to terrify him. He recalled to The Sun:

    "I think one night on Jubilee Road by imagination went a bit crazy, with them and I began imagining a sort of random scenario, where they came to life and got a bit out of control."

    Odell added that he's "not entirely sure what the song is about. That's something the case with songwriting, you just let the words flow out and let listeners find their own meaning."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Chris Tomlin

Chris TomlinSongwriter Interviews

The king of Christian worship music explains talks about writing songs for troubled times.

John Kay of Steppenwolf

John Kay of SteppenwolfSongwriter Interviews

Steppenwolf frontman John Kay talks about "Magic Carpet Ride," "Born To Be Wild," and what he values more than awards and accolades.

Martyn Ware of Heaven 17

Martyn Ware of Heaven 17Songwriter Interviews

Martyn talks about producing Tina Turner, some Heaven 17 hits, and his work with the British Electric Foundation.

Sugarland

SugarlandSongwriter Interviews

Meet the "sassy basket" with the biggest voice in country music.

Song Titles That Inspired Movies

Song Titles That Inspired MoviesSong Writing

Famous songs that lent their titles - and in some cases storylines - to movies.

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," Kiss

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," KissSong Writing

After cutting his teeth on hardcore punk videos, Paul defined the grunge look with his work on "Hunger Strike" and "Man in the Box."